WA Labor blames carbon tax for poor poll

West Australian Opposition Leader Eric Ripper has suggested the federal government's proposed carbon tax is responsible for his poor showing in the latest poll.

According to latest the Newspoll, voter satisfaction with Mr Ripper's job as opposition leader has dropped its lowest point since he became WA Labor leader after the party's defeat at the 2008 election.

His satisfaction has also dropped by 2 percentage points since the last poll to 31 per cent.

Meanwhile, Labor's two-party preferred vote of 43 per cent has not budged for nine months now and is still well below their vote at the most recent election.

Mr Ripper said the poll was conducted between January and February this year and coincided with the failed leadership challenge by then opposition treasury spokesman Ben Wyatt.

It was also during the same time Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced her plans for a carbon tax, he said.

"If you look at the duration of that poll it was conducted over a three-month period ... when the federal government announced a price on carbon," Mr Ripper told Fairfax Radio on Thursday.

"I agree on a need for a price on carbon but that's an issue which will require a long-term fight to explain to people the compensation they will get."

In January Mr Wyatt said there was an "appetite for change" within the WA Labor caucus and announced he would be challenging for the party's leadership.

But less than 48 hours later he withdrew after he conceded he had nowhere near the number of votes needed to oust Mr Ripper.

Mr Wyatt gave a commitment he would not launch another challenge but many in the party say that if union powerbrokers Dave Kelly and Joe Bullock urged him, he would.

It is understood the other potential leadership challenger Mark McGowan would only consider leading the party until closer to the 2013 election.

Mr Ripper dismissed the poll as an indicator for how the party would fare at the next election.

"It's not about where we are right now. This is a long game," he said.

"We're aiming to win in 2013 and what we see is emerging discontent with the premier."

The WA government's two-party preferred support is at 57 per cent, 14 per cent points ahead of Labor.